6 Things You Don’t Say To a Mom With A Colicky Baby

As a new mom, everything is overwhelming. After all, there’s your new squishy postpartum body to figure out and the realization that no matter how many diapers you were gifted, there’s just never enough. Not to mention everyone you meet just so happens to be an “expert” in pointing out all the things you’re currently doing wrong, might want to try, and have you thought of?

Of course everyone’s intentions are good, but that doesn’t exactly make the advice any more helpful. Take moms with healthy, yet colicky babies, for example. New motherhood is particularly fraught when you’re trying to figure out what’s wrong with a healthy baby who, it feels like, is crying all the time. While some advice can be helpful, here’s six things you definitely do not want to say to the mom of a colicky baby.

1. All babies cry, it’s nothing to worry about.

Yes, babies do cry. Eventually, they stop, though. A colicky baby is different. For a mom who is taking care of a baby with colic, the crying feels like it’s never going to stop. When you say, “all babies cry,” you’re minimizing what she’s going through. We all want to make mommies feel better, but this statement is not helpful.

2. Maybe you’re not eating right.

There’s a common myth that colic is not real, and fussiness and crying is rather triggered by the mom and the food she eats. That’s just not true. Colic may be caused by an imbalance of good gut bacteria. Instead of guilting mom into following some restrictive diet, tell her about Align Baby Colic Relief Probiotic Drops which will help to fortify her baby’s healthy tummy with additional good bacteria.* Align is specially formulated to add this good gut bacteria and helps to soothe baby’s fussiness and crying.*

3. I don’t know how you do it.

While you might think you’re showing mom support by telling her you don’t know how she’s able to manage caring for a colicky baby all day, it’s actually like throwing salt in a wound. Yes, she knows things are hard right now. She doesn’t need a reminder. Besides, we do know how she does it: She’s a mom.

4. You’ll look back on this fondly one day.

There’s a lot of things about parenting a newborn that a mom will look back at fondly. A colicky baby who cries throughout the day is not one of them. It’s never a good idea to romanticize hardships, so do your best to avoid looking at someone’s “worst problem” with rose-colored glasses.

5. Oh, it could be …

Having a colicky baby is challenging enough without filling a new mom’s head with other things that could be wrong with her baby. Because colic is a diagnosis of exclusion, parents should talk to their doctor first to make sure nothing is wrong. If you’re a concerned friend who wants to suggest anything, share information about the benefits of probiotics. Better yet, gift her some Align Baby Colic Relief so she doesn’t even have to go look for them. The good bacteria that Align provides can help balance a baby’s healthy tummy, and help them find relief.* Moms will value that so much more than a theory.

6. Maybe your baby is hungry.

Hi, moms know when they’re babies are hungry. Trust me, hunger is her first thought when the baby starts to cry. Colic is not the same as hunger.

Taking care of a colicky baby is hard. Moms who are doing it need our support, not our judgement. Think before you speak, and if you visit a new mom — bring coffee!

Colicky babies (and their mamas!) can get relief with Align Baby Colic Relief* Probiotic Drops — the #1 doctor recommended brand‡ expertly developed for babies and infants. Align Colic Relief Probiotic Drops are gentle on babies’ developing tummies, and are lactose free, gluten free, soy free, dairy free, and vegetarian.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

‡Among Doctors who recommended a brand of probiotic in ProVoice 2013-2019 surveys.